Tuesday, January 6, 2026 - The death toll from Saturday’s boat accident, which occurred in the Nguru Local Government Area of Yobe, has risen from 25, as announced earlier by the state government, to 29.
Executive Secretary of the state’s Emergency Management
Agency, Dr Mohammad Goje, disclosed this in a statement in Damaturu on Monday.
He said that four additional bodies were recovered from the
river, adding that the search and rescue operation would continue, as between
eight and 10 passengers were still missing.
Goje said that 13 passengers who were injured in the
accident had been treated and discharged from a local hospital.
The executive secretary said that preliminary reports
indicated that overloading and structural defects were among the major causes
of the accident.
He said that following the unfortunate incident, the Yobe
State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, directed YOSEMA to liaise with relevant Federal
Government agencies on safety measures in water transportation in the area.
He said that through such collaboration, policing of water
transportation would become possible and the use of life jackets could be
enforced.
“Once this is achieved, you can ensure that those who will
board a canoe must wear life jackets, and that should be institutionalised,” he
said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the ill-fated boat,
which took off from Adiyani in neighbouring Jigawa, capsized along the Yobe
River in Garbi town at about 7:48pm on Saturday.
Over 50 passengers, mainly farmers and traders, were
believed to be on board when the incident occurred in the area, which is over
230km from Damaturu, the state capital.
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